Nuclear power plant



Sept. 3, 1963 H, VJSCHENCK, JR

NUCLEAR POWER PLANT Filed May 7, 1957 INVENTOR H/LBE'T VAN NYDECKSCHENCK JR.

MN.. 5N

t, NU CLEAR POWER PLANT l `Hilbert Y. Sehenck, Jr., Potsdam, N.Y.',assigner, by mesne assignments, to the United Statesof America asrepresented by the United States Atomic Energy Commission t Filed May 7,1957, Ser. No..657,667

` 7 Claims. (Cl. Zilli-493.2)`

This invention relates to nuclear powered tunbojet en- N United StatesPatent `i bine i4.

gines and has :as `one lof its objects to utilize the heat t formerlywasted in the reactor due to by nuclear radiation heating.

In .a nuclear powered turbojet engine a considerable amount of power isrequired to pump the reactor fuel through the reactor chamber and ftheintermediate heat exchanger and to .pump the heat exchange medium,usually liquid metal, through the heat exchanger and the radiator of theengine. This power has heretofore been energy deposited t taken from,theiengina usually by utilizing compressed air bled from the compressorto `drive `air driven pumps or by taking power drive the pumps.

In `accordancewith this invention, this auxiliary power is supplied by asmall turbojet engine having its own compressor-turbine unit andradiator through which a heat exchange medium is circulated to heattheair discharged from the compressor into the turbine. This heatexchange medium for the auxiliary engine obtains its heat fromthecoolant which is circulated through thereactor chamber `to remove`the :energy deposited therein by nuclear radiation. The pump forlcirculating the coolant through the reactor and the radiator of theauxili` ary engine is also driven by the auxiliary engine.

It is, therefore, -a primary object of this invention to `directly fromthe engine shaft to ice 2 usual `combustion chambers in Whichifuel isburned to heat the air Ifrom the compressor |12 beforejit enters tur-I-n accordance with the presentinvention the power` to drive pumps 30and 32 is obtained tromlan auxiliary tur- [bine generally indicated at36. This engine has the usual airgintake 33 through which air isintroduced to the compressor 49, wherein it is compressed and dischargedthrough the radiator 42 into turbine 44. VIhe turbine 44 is connectedthrough shaft 46 with the compressor 40 and vdrives the latter in ausual manner. bled from engine 36 through a conduit 48pm `drive airturbine pump. 32. Similarly, compressed air is bled from the engine 35'through conduit 50y to drive the .air turbine fuel pump Si). An .airturbine pump "52 is likewise driven by air bled from compressor `#lil:through :a conduit 54 for circulating the heating medium which:circulates in circuit 56 through radiator 42 where air from compressorlill is heated prior to its discharge into turbine 44. t Preferably,conduits 4S, 5d and '54 `are connected to engine 36 tdownstream ofradiator 42 so as `to take advantage of the increased energy in theheated air.

The heat exchange medium in circuit 5d, which may be `provide the powerfor these auxiliaries of the engine `and the auxiliary engine fromtheauxili-aryengine `and to power the latter by the heat absorbed by thecoolant circulated through the heated parts of the reactor. A furtherobject of the invention is `to avoid the necessity for taking :air `orwork fromvthe main engine for the operation of engine accessories.

Anotherobject of the invention is to utilize the heat- Referring to thedrawing, `l() indica-tes .generally a turbojet engine, including :acompressor 12, a turbine114, and a radiator 16. The compressor andturbine are connected in the usual manner Iby ashaft `118, so that thecompressor is driven by the turbine in the customary way to compress airentering -at the inlet 20 and discharge it through the radiator :andthrough the turbine into the discharge nozzle A22.

A Heatfor the radiator 16 is obtained from sa reactor 2.4. t Heat isgenerated in the reactor by circulating fuel in a circuit @ithrough themoderator 23 in the reactor charnbe`r25; Heat is also generated in thereactor shield 27. Also included in the circuit 26 is anintermediateheat exchanger 28. The fuel in circuit 26 is cinculated by:a fuel pump 30 which may be Ian air turbine driven pump.

` Liquid metal, or some :other suitable heat exchange medium, is :alsocirculated by ia pump 32 through a second circuit 34 which passesthrough the intermediate heat exchanger 28 and the radiator v1d ofengine 101. `It will be understood that rthe radiator 16 is fused inplace of the means which is included in this circuit. Thus, the heatexch-ange medium in circuit 56 may pass through the reactor where itcools both` the moderator and the heat shield to` remove the energydeposited by nuclear radiation. Preferably, both of these sourcesofwaste heat are utilized. The heat .generated in the moderator may `bein a typical reactor .about 5% of the heat generated in the reactorsystem. The heat generated in the shield and `reliector may be roughly5% of the total heat produced.

Utilization of lthe heat @from both the moderator tand the shield in thecooling circuit 56 will provide amplepower in engine 36 to take care ofthe :auxiliary services for both engine l@ and engine 36 without takingany Work `from the main engine l0. t

It will thus be evident that by this invention means `has been providedfor utilizing `otherwise waste heat in the reactor cooling :circuit thussaving ra considerable amount of power which otherwise would have tobetaken from `the main engine `turbine 10.

While I have described a preferred embodiment whichl my invention may:assume in practice,it will be evident that variouschanges may be madein the construction and `arrangements of the parts without exceeding thescope of the invention. t l

Iclaim: t

1. In a nuclear powerplant, Va turb-ojet engine having a gas turbine, anair compressor driven by said turbine 'and a radiator for heating the:air discharged from thecompressor into the` turbine, a'circulatingvfuel reactor, a heat exch-anger,` means including a pumpfor` circulating fuel through `said. reactor yand through said heatexchanger, means including a pump for circulating a heattransfer mediumthrough said heat exchanger and through said radiator, an `auxiliaryturbojet engine having a gas turbine, an air compressor driven by saidturbine and a radiator for heating lair discharged lfrom the compressoru medium throughthe reactor and through the radiator of said auxiliaryengine, and means for driving said pumps associated with said main Iandauxiliary engines from said auxiliary engine. t

2. In a nuclear power plant. a turbojet engine having a gas turbine, anair compressor driven Iby -said turbine and a radiator for heating the:air discharged from the oompressoryinto the turbine, a circulating-fuel'reactor having a moderator, a heat exchanger, means including a pumpCompressed air is for circulatingfuel through said reactor :and throughsaid heat exchanger, means including =a pump for circulating a heattransfer medium through said heat exchanger and through said radiator,:an .auxiliaryturbojet engine having a gas `tu-rb-ine, an air-:compressor driven by said turbine and la radiator for` heating vairdischarged from the compressor into said turbine, means including `apump for cirv culating .a heat transfer medium through the moderator ofsaid reactorL and through the radiator of said auxiliary engine, andmeans for driving said pumps associated with said main and `auxiliaryengines from said auxiliary J engine. n

3. .In a nuclear powerplant, a turbojet engine having a gas turbine,angairpfcornpressor `driven by said turbine circulating .a heat transfermedium through the shield of said reactor to cool the latter and throughthe radiator f of said auxiliary engine to heat the lair passingtherethrough, andmeans for driving said pumps from said`auxiliaryengine.

, 4.l In a nuclear power plant, a turbojet engine having a ygasturbine,lan :air Vcompressor driven by said turbine and a radiator for heating.the air discharged from the compressor into .the turbine, acirculatingfuel reactor having ya shield and a moderator, 1anintermediate heat exchanger, means including a pump lfor circulatingfuel through said reactor and said heat exchanger, means including yapump for vcirculating :a heat exchange medium through said radiator :andsaid heat exchanger, an auxiliary turbojet `engine having a `gasturbine, an air compressor driven by said turbine :and a radiator forheating the .air discharged from the compressor into said turbine, meansincluding .1a pump Ifor circulating a heat exchange medium through Isaidreactor Aand through the radiator of said auxiliary engine, and meansfor' driving, said pumps associated with said main and auxiliary enginesfrom said auxiliary engine.

5. In la nuclear power plant, 'a turbojet engine having a gas turbine,an -air compressor driven by said turbine and :a radiator for heatingthe yair discharged from the com- 4presser. into the turbine, Sacirculating-fuel reactor having a shield and `a moderator, anintermediate heat exchanger between :said reactor .and said engine,means including an 'air driven pump for circulating fuel through saidlreactor and-,through said heat exchanger, `means including a second .air`driven pump for circulating 1a heat transfer medium through said heatexchanger and through said i, radiator, lan auxiliary turbojet enginehaving `a gas turbine, an `air compressor :driven by said turbine and `aradiator for heating the air .discharged from the compressor intoY saidturbine, means including an air driven pump forv circulating a heattransfer medium throughl said reactor to cool said Vshield and `saidmoderator and through the radiator of saidv auxiliary engine to heat theair passf ,i .y ing therethrough, and means for driving said pumps byvcompressed air bled oi frontl said auxiliary engine compressor.

i 6. In combination,y a main turbojet engine, `an auxiliaryturbojetengine having a compressor :and atturbineV driven by saidcompressor into which said compressor discharges, n

a nuclear reactor, means including pump means for transferring heat fromsaidreactor to said main engine, said pump means `being kdriven by saidiauxiliary'engine, said reactor having a shield and a moderator,` acoolant circuit through .said reactor for cooling said shield andmoderator, a radiator in said-auxiliary engine between the compressorand the turbine thereof through which said i coolant circulates for:transferring heat to the air discharged from said compressor into.saidturbine, anda pump in said coolantcircuit drivenrby said auxiliaryengine for circulating said coolant.'

7. In combination, a main turbojet engine including a turbine, acompressor driven by said turbine and a radiator fortransferring heaty)to the air discharged from Said compressor into said turbine, anauxiliary.turbojet'enr-` rgine includinga turbine,`a,com'pressor" drivenby said turbine and a radiator for transferring heat to theair dis-`charged from said compressor into Isaid turbine, a nuclear pj 2,531,761Zuemw Nov. 28,1950 Y 2,776,537 `Peterson. T dan. 8, 19,57

FOREIGN PATENTS i '739,3114 Great Britain oor. 26,1955

4reactor having a shield and -a moderator, means for trans# ferring heatfrom said reactor to the radiator yof said main engine including pumpmeans for circulating heat transfer medium, means for transferring heatfrom said reactor shield and moderator to the radiator of said auxiliaryengine including pump means `for circulating a heat trans- -r fermedium, and means for 1driving the .pump means associated with said maintand .auxiliary engines from said auxiliary engine.y

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS oTnEuREFERENCES l Principles of I et Propulsion .and Gas Turbines, by I.

Zucrow, John Wiley & Sons, New York, 1948,pp. 259 to 11,12and15.yPopular Science, October 1951, pp. 984012.

. l Raymond L. Murray, Prentice Hall, New

American Aviation, vol. 14, No. 4, July l5, 14950, pp.,

Louin-1s450361, Us. Atomic Ene'gyioemmission,

Technical Information Service, Sept. 6,1955, pp.,1,-2, 4-

" v10, 7o, 71, 12o, 121, `122.v

Nucleonics, March 1956. pp. 34-44. Nucleorn'cs, June 1957, pp. 20, 21.

York, 1954i,

1. IN A NUCLEAR POWER PLANT, A TURBOJECT ENGINE HAVING A GAS TURBINE, ANAIR COMPRESSOR DRIVEN BY SAID TURBINE AND A RADIATOR FOR HEATING THE AIRDISCHARGED FROM THE COMPRESSOR INTO THE TURBINE, A CIRCULATING-FUELREACTOR, A HEAT EXCHANGER, MEANS INCLUDING A PUMP FOR CIRCULATING FUELTHROUGH SAID REACTOR AND THROUGH SAID HEAT EXCHANGER, MEANS INCLUDING APUMP FOR CIRCULATING A HEAT TRANSFERMEDIUM THROUGH SAID HEAT EXCHANGERAND THROUGH SAID RADIATOR, AN AUXILIARY TURBOJET ENGINE HAVING A GASTURBINE, AN AIR COMPRESSOR DRIVEN BY SAID TURBINE AND A RADIATOR FORHEATING AIR DISCHARGED FROM THE COMPRESSOR INTO SAID TURBINE, MEANS FORCOOLING OF REACTOR PARTS TO REMOVE THE ENERGY DEPOSITED BY NUCLEARRADIATION HEATING INCLUDING A PUMP FOR CIRCULATING A HEAT TRANSFERMEDIUM THROUGH THE REACTOR AND THROUGH THE RADIATOR OF SAID AUXILIARYENGINE, AND MEANS FOR DRIVING SAID PUMPS ASSOCIATED WITH SAID MAIN ANDAUXILIARY ENGINES FROM SAID AUXILIARY ENGINE.